New Furuno Radar Product Introduced Feb.12th

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New Furuno Radar Product Introduced Feb.12th

I just had a monkey wrench thrown into my recent hard search for a new electronics package, I was introduced over the phone yesterday to the new DRS4D-NXT by my local electronics shop. This is the new generation of the 24 inch DRS4D dome. It's compatible with the TZTouch and the TZT2. I was told that Furuno just introduced this at the Miami Show on Wednesday and posted some info to their website at the same time.

Here are the links: One is to the Furuno announcement and the other to the PDF brochure.

The new "Target Analyzer" that shows oncoming or potentially dangerous targets in red (intersecting or oncoming targets) and stationary & non-dangerous targets in green.

The other is the "ability to focus the 3.9 degree horizontal down to a 2 degrees" for better resolution and bird detection. They say they are utilizing their Rezboost technology that they're using in the TZT2 sounder.

For my use I am now considering the TZT2 and this new radar unit. The thing that had previously kept me from even considering the TZT2 was the inability of the MFD to show trailing echoes. The original DSR4D radar can provide trailing echoes, but the TZT2 cannot display them and only the TZT can. It looks like Furuno may have just filled the void within my considerations of the TZT2 by offering a compromise to no echoes, but as always I'm a bit gun shy of being one of the first in even though this package has just percolated up on the list.

I just had a monkey wrench thrown into my recent hard search for a new electronics package, I was introduced over the phone yesterday to the new DRS4D-NXT by my local electronics shop. This is the new generation of the 24 inch DRS4D dome. It's compatible with the TZTouch and the TZT2. I was told that Furuno just introduced this at the Miami Show on Wednesday and posted some info to their website at the same time.

Here are the links: One is to the Furuno announcement and the other to the PDF brochure.

The new "Target Analyzer" that shows oncoming or potentially dangerous targets in red (intersecting or oncoming targets) and stationary & non-dangerous targets in green.

The other is the "ability to focus the 3.9 degree horizontal down to a 2 degrees" for better resolution and bird detection. They say they are utilizing their Rezboost technology that they're using in the TZT2 sounder.

For my use I am now considering the TZT2 and this new radar unit. The thing that had previously kept me from even considering the TZT2 was the inability of the MFD to show trailing echoes. The original DSR4D radar can provide trailing echoes, but the TZT2 cannot display them and only the TZT can. It looks like Furuno may have just filled the void within my considerations of the TZT2 by offering a compromise to no echoes, but as always I'm a bit gun shy of being one of the first in even though this package has just percolated up on the list.

I think you might want to wait until Furuno posts the manual with more detailed information on the new radar's capabilities. The absence of the echo trails, echo averaging, and echo stretch functions on the TZT 2 was a bad choice on Furuno's part to "dumb down" the industry-leading radars. The extent to which the Doppler trails and other features of the NXT radar can provide the same or better information isn't really all that clear from the brochure. Who knows, maybe Furuno will update the software for the TZT 2 and give it the echo trail and other functions of the TZT and just about every other radar Furuno has ever sold.

The specifications for the new Garmin Fantom open array solid state radar announced on the same day, which also has Doppler processing, specifically notes that it has echo trails and echo stretch also.

I've heard numerous times that they aren't going to update the TZT2 for echo trails and such. I'm hoping it's because of their radar that they aren't. They say they dumbed it down to save money.

If you know the heading and speed of an approaching vessel, why do you need to see trails so badly? (especially if the radar acquires the targets automatically)

Trails are good on my TZT and UHD Radome so I don't have to acquire every vessel around me to see the direction they are heading relative to me. I would rather have all the targets auto acquired and show me their heading.

If you know the heading and speed of an approaching vessel, why do you need to see trails

If I'm fishing a private drop I'm protective of, I'd like to see if an approaching vessel is changing its course toward me. It's easy to miss it in between fishing but trails make it obvious at a quick glance.

If I'm fishing a private drop I'm protective of, I'd like to see if an approaching vessel is changing its course toward me. It's easy to miss it in between fishing but trails make it obvious at a quick glance.

Actual CPA vectors are even easier. Plus it is pretty darn easy to determine your position without approaching you.

Do they show course history at a glance though? I thought the approach vectors only show instantaneous heading? I'd like to know a vessel is changing course toward me before its heading straight for me and without having to constantly monitor the screen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cravenMH

Plus it is pretty darn easy to determine your position without approaching you.

The accuracy of a fix is dependent on the quality of the equipment onboard the approaching vessel and how far they are from you when you move from the spot. Where I'm fishing, the majority of vessels don't use radar at all. A well equipped vessel would still be able to ping me but I still see it as an advantage to be able to see course history at a glance and react to it in that scenario.

Do they show course history at a glance though? I thought the approach vectors only show instantaneous heading? I'd like to know a vessel is changing course toward me before its heading straight for me and without having to constantly monitor the screen.

The accuracy of a fix is dependent on the quality of the equipment onboard the approaching vessel and how far they are from you when you move from the spot. Where I'm fishing, the majority of vessels don't use radar at all. A well equipped vessel would still be able to ping me but I still see it as an advantage to be able to see course history at a glance and react to it in that scenario.

I thought this was a discussion about ARPA, which has nothing at all to do with equipment on the target boat (that would be AIS). The ARPA function on Furuno radars does indeed show only the current vector and speed as calculated by the unit. The historical course is not shown. That's what you could see with echo trails, especially set to a long trail interval.

The Furuno NavNet TZT 2 does not display trails, the TZT does. I am assuming that the new NXT radar cannot show trails on a TZT 2 either. They have not posted any manuals or detailed specifications yet so that is just speculation.

All good information. My challenge, My old plotter just failed and i am ready to upgrade to a new Gps plotter. Furuno is my choice. Both there TZT and TZT2 will work for me as a plotter. I already have a stand along furuno fish finder. Considering I want add a radar when I get the money the FIRST priority for my future radar is to spot birds. I am willing to spend the money for a 25kw 6' array if needed but here is the first question.....

What model is going work better for displaying birds, the 9" TZT (I don't have room on the dash for a 14) with the "trailing echoes" or the TZT 12 with better resolution but "dumb down" regarding radar echoes?

Does anyone have experience spot/display birds with either display unit. The new nxt sounds promising with the beam adjustably but it is unproven at this point.

If you know the heading and speed of an approaching vessel, why do you need to see trails so badly? (especially if the radar acquires the targets automatically)

Trails are good on my TZT and UHD Radome so I don't have to acquire every vessel around me to see the direction they are heading relative to me. I would rather have all the targets auto acquired and show me their heading.

I was responding to the question about software update to add the echo trails.

All good information. My challenge, My old plotter just failed and i am ready to upgrade to a new Gps plotter. Furuno is my choice. Both there TZT and TZT2 will work for me as a plotter. I already have a stand along furuno fish finder. Considering I want add a radar when I get the money the FIRST priority for my future radar is to spot birds. I am willing to spend the money for a 25kw 6' array if needed but here is the first question.....

What model is going work better for displaying birds, the 9" TZT (I don't have room on the dash for a 14) with the "trailing echoes" or the TZT 12 with better resolution but "dumb down" regarding radar echoes?

Does anyone have experience spot/display birds with either display unit. The new nxt sounds promising with the beam adjustably but it is unproven at this point.

Thanks.

I have experience finding birds with both TZT and TZT 2 since I have TZT 2 15s at the main helm and a TZT 9 on my tower that was temporarily at the main helm for a couple of months while awaiting shipment of the TZT 2 units last year. This is with a 12kW 4 foot open array.

It is really very hard to answer your question to be honest. On balance, I would say that the birds were more evident on the 15" display when ranged out to 4-6 miles, which is typically what I would would be doing, notwithstanding the absence of trails that might have made it easier to pick them out of the clutter from the high gain setting necessary to see birds. Closer in, the TZT 9 with the trails on might have had an advantage. But generally that is starting to get to the range at which you can see the birds anyway with binoculars.

I will say that the 12kW open array on the TZT 15 is very good at spotting birds at those distances notwithstanding the lack of echo trails or echo stretch. The large, high resolution display really helps you see a small target. It is hard to beat a Furuno open array for finding birds. That has been the benchmark for years and it is only recently that the competitors have introduced units that are close in performance.

The rumor mill is pretty active that Furuno will introduce open array versions of the NXT radar, which is probably worth waiting to see.

From the standpoint of just being a plotter, in my view, the TZT 2 12 has a better interface and nicer screen than the TZT 9 and would be preferred. The difference in screen area and brightness is quite significant.

I think you have answered my question, Classicguy. Since I don't have the capital right now, time is on my side to wait for the NXT array, assuming there is such a thing in the works.

Also, I really need my readers, now that I am a more experienced fisherman, to see my electronics so the larger screen makes sense.

The TZT 2 12" is the max I can fix at my helm but the 12" is better resolution then the tzt 9"

I appreciate your knowledge, Thanks

No problem, happy to help. I should have added that if your helm has bright sun at all, the TZT 2 will be a much better choice as its daylight viewability in strong sun is a lot better than the TZT 9.

By the way, the internal sounder in the TZT 2 is actually quite good and a bit of a fringe benefit tossed in. I have a black box DFF1-UHD CHIRP sounder on my system with a PM265 transducer but I also have one of the TZT 2s hooked up to a cheap B60 transducer and it is impressive.